Fall is here. The Walks is covered in bright leaves. I love the feeling of leaves rustling past my feet. The residents of Kings Lynn are adorned in sweaters, scarves, and wooly jackets. The seagulls are so beautiful in the gloomy skies. The cherry tree in front of our house is bright pink, orange and yellow. The changing seasons remind me of this scripture.
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what has been planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep and a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silent, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Life mirrors the seasons, and there's a purpose to every season we go through. We see children born, and we see children die. We see the farmers sow their seeds, and then fields ripe for the harvest. We see buildings torn down, for newer ones to rise in their place. We have times of weeping, and wonderful times of laughter with friends. We mourn, and we dance. We gain, and sometimes we lose everything. We see many young men and women shipped out to go fight in the middle east. As we go through this economic crisis we see people who had businesses, and investments, now homeless. Many of you who are reading have lost a home, or are barely holding on to the home you have.
My family was invited to the Vineyard church, by the Pastor and his Wife. During worship we sang a song called “Forever You.” I was in the process of writing this blog, and it fits perfectly. Here it is:
“Even in a world, where nothing stays the same.
There is still a truth, a truth that still remains.
Forever You will always be
Our God on high, the Lord in me
The King of hope, the Lord of love
The Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God
Even though the heart, always seems to change
There is still a love, a love that stays the same.
You will always be exalted
King of Kings and Holy Father!”
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 Our hope, forever. No matter what. The death of a friend or family member, losing your job, house, a unsuspected illness. In ever circumstance He will always be God on high, the Lord in you. The King of hope, the Lord of love. The Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God. Place all you cares, and needs in His hands. Know that your circumstances are a season, but God is forever. During every season He is.
Please pray for us here at Calvary Chapel Kings Lynn, pray that as we enter our new building we would look to Jesus to supply our every need. Pray that through having this building we would be able to introduce the people of Kings Lynn to Jesus, and His unchanging love. That we would be able to comfort all with the comfort we have received from Jesus Christ. Pray that God would use the seasons we've been through. To minister to the people of Kings Lynn who have lost a house, business, or job. Who are sick, dying, or who have lost a loved one. All those who are in need, homeless, without food, or running water. To the widows, the orphans and abused children. That we would be a light in the darkness.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Amen, thank you.
It's amazing how God always goes before us. He prepares the way, so that we can walk in it. We have been praising the Lord for blessing us with the one year anniversary of Calvary Chapel Kings Lynn! For having waited as long as we did to get here, this year has gone by like a whirlwind. I began to think about our experiences here. All that has happened, and it then made me think about the early New Testament Church. Over and over again in the Bible, Gods people met with one mind, in one accord, with one mouth, in one place, and one purpose.
“Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11
Paul's joy was full when he heard that the Christians of Philippi were being like-minded. I'm sure that Gods' joy is full when His kids do the same thing today. This scripture made me think about 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, unity and diversity in one body.
I love science, and I've always loved learning about how things work in our bodies. The body works in perfect unity, with one purpose, to keep us alive. Each part of our body is diverse. Each part is needed for our benefit. Take the big toe for example, you wouldn't think that it's important. It's on the end of our foot. But if we didn't have our big toe, did you know that we would not be able to walk! Consider our eye lashes. Another member that you wouldn't think is that important. The eye lashes keep dust particles from going into our eyes. Have you ever wondered why you have hairs in your nose? They are your first protection against allergens. These weak parts of our bodies are needed. “No, much rather, those members of the body which seem weaker are necessary.” 1 Corinthians 12: 22
Every member of the body has a specific purpose, and function because our brain tells them to do so. Our mind tells us to breathe, to pump our blood around our body, and it tells us to eat if our stomach is hungry. Jesus does the same to the spiritual body, the Church. Just as the body works in perfect unison, we are to do the same as the Body of Christ today.
The body should not only look out for its own interests, but the interests of others. The nose doesn't just think about it's self. It gets a order from the brain to inhale, and it does. So that the lungs can become full of oxygen, to saturate the blood, to make something as simple as doing dishes possible. The lungs are then told to exhale, and they do. Carbon dioxide leaves the lungs, and exits the nose. If are lungs were to remain full of carbon dioxide, we would die. This simple function of breathing, is essential to life. If the nose said, “The lungs aren't functioning well, they think I'm useless.” Or if the lungs said, “I will not work with the nose.” Then the body would die. Each member of the body does not only look out for its own interests, but the interest of the body as a whole.
It's important for the body of Christ to realize that when we look out for only ourselves, we begin to kill the body. Every member of the body of Christ is valid, and important. We also have to realize that our sin affects the whole body. Sin is like a cancer. We all know what cancer does to the body. I am praying for the Lord to help me in these areas. I encourage you to do the same.
How is it possible to have one mind, be in one accord, with one mouth, in one place, and one purpose? Jesus the One and Only. If our total focus is His Name being Glorified. His Name being spread over all the earth. His fame and not our own, then we should strive to see that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Then we will never act selfishly or try to be personally more popular than Him or think that we are ever better than any part of the rest of the body. We will know that it is only Him, all for Him and through Him we can love with a pure heart.
Please pray for us at Calvary Kings Lynn. Pray for unity in the body here. Pray for the missionaries here, and then ones who will come. Pray that we would cut the sin out of
our lives, so that we don't hurt the body here. That we would have one mind, that we are last of all, and servants to all. In one accord, in agreement and harmony with each other. Having one one mouth, lifting up one voice, in praise, and preaching the gospel. In one place, having the people of Kings Lynn etched on our hearts and minds forever. Finally in one purpose, that all would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. He has gone before us, and prepared our way that we should walk in it.
All my love, Madi.
This week I have been looking back on my past. I was wishing that some things could have worked out differently. Why do things change? I found myself dwelling in the past, and in things that cannot be changed.
As I was praying about what to blog, the Lord lead me to Philippians 3:3-14
"For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Wow! What powerful verses! We are the circumcision. We are to be living a life that is cut off from the world and cut off from sin. The rite of circumcision was God's way
of requiring the Jewish people to become physically different because of their relationship with Him. We are to have no confidence in the flesh.
Personally, I have always struggled with confidence. When I was in elementary school, a teacher told my parents "Madison has no self-confidence." I thought it was a curse, but now I see it as a blessing from God. Low self confidence has made it so much easier for me to have confidence in Jesus Christ! (Proverbs 3:26)
If you have walked with Jesus for any time, you can point to ways in which your spiritual circumcision results in proof that you are different than you originally were.
"In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not done by the hands of men, but with the circumcision done by Christ." Col 2:11
Paul gives us a glance back on his life as Saul. By worldly standards, Saul had all his ducks in a row. I love how he shares his pedigree, so to speak. Concerning the law, Saul was blameless. Saul did not realize he needed a Saviour, until he was on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)
Each one of us who know Jesus as Saviour, has been on that road. The scales having been removed from our eyes, we recognized Him, the One and Only. But it’s funny how often we can think we don’t need a Saviour in our day to day circumstances. This is where I believe that our spiritual circumcision is so profound. Often, we rely on ourselves, on our past, on our pedigree to get us through. We need only follow Paul’s example of counting all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
Without Jesus, our lives look put together on the outside, but they are falling apart on the inside. With Jesus, we can walk with one foot in the world at times. Trying to live our lives for ourselves AND Him.
I'm sure that Paul hated the fact that he persecuted fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm sure that if He could have changed that, He would have. What I love about Paul is that he KNEW who he was IN Christ. Forgiven. Paul was forgiven by the blood of Jesus, and he lived without a guilty conscience. His righteousness from God through faith!
Living in the past can keeps us from our future.
Like Saul, we have to move on. We are forgiven our sins past, present, and future. We have to move forward from our pasts, to our future in Jesus. To know Him!
Sometimes that means sharing in His sufferings. That’s the hard part. I am sure that it was hard for Saul, becoming Paul. Imagine having to come to grips with the fact that nothing in you is worth holding on to. It’s easy to say, but that’s where the rubber meets the road and I realized it is what God is saying to me.
I said I had been dwelling on the past, wishing some things had turned out differently. The thing is, change is hard. This kind of growth is hard and sometimes painful. Giving up me for Him… is stretching me and frankly, sometimes it hurts.
This circumcision done by Christ in me, has made me want to cry out at times. It has made me want to throw myself on the floor and kick and scream at times. Yet I feel His Presence and Know He is with me and I surrender my plan for His, my life for His, over and over again. My parents tell me I am growing up in Him and that they are proud of me. Sometimes I wonder what He thinks. Does He tire of my battle with my flesh?
He hasn’t changed my name, but He wants me changed. He wants me to understand that there is no good thing in me apart from Him. I can look back all I want, with longing even… but apart from Him I am just Madison Proffit, living in Kings Lynn. In Him, I am Madison Proffit, daughter of the Most High God, called to Kings Lynn, England to be His witness, whom He has chosen, to do good works which He prepared in advance for me to do!
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29:11
I want to live with both feet on His path for my life. I want to press into Him and know Him and be found in Him! Yet as I write this fear creeps into my mind, of what will happen next.
Pray for me here, pray for all of us serving here in Kings Lynn. That we would see past our light and momentary circumstances and Live for Jesus while we can. Pray for the people in Kings Lynn to seek Him while He can be found.
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Jer 29:12
For those of you who find yourselves in the same place that I am, even though I don’t know you by name, I will be praying for you. For those of you who don’t know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, my heart breaks for you. I pray that in His Word, read on this page, you will encounter Him and surrender your life to Him, He is worth it!
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13
The last time I blogged, it was about the Prodigal Son coming home to His Father. This week, the Lord is speaking to me about another side of this Parable... the older brother.
The parable of the Prodigal Son can be found in Luke 15:11-32. The older brother is introduced in verse 11, and his role is developed in verses 25-32. The older brother was in the field. He was doing the right thing, serving his father and working hard. So what happened to make the older brother go from good guy, to bad guy in just five verses? I've always heard it taught that the older brother was jealous of his prodigal brother, getting all the attention when he returned home. I don’t think he was only jealous. I believe this brother was discouraged too.
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." -Galatians 6:9
I believe that he grew weary in the field. He lost sight of his purpose. He lost heart.
Verses 29-30 are the voice of a discouraged brother. "I have served you well, so where’s my reward?" Even tough you do the right thing consistently, those who don't sometimes seem to get more attention.
I love that the father met his oldest son exactly where he was at. "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." Luke 15:31. Everything that the Father has is ours too! Amazing! That’s why we serve Him. We have all we need in Him. The older son didn’t need a goat or calf, he had his father's love all along... Like the older son, our Father, meets us exactly where we are at, we have His love and our reward IS Him!
Psalm 126:5-6 says, "Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." We have to believe this promise... our tears will water the harvest. We have to go out to the field and say "I will serve You, I will serve You, I will serve You,"... dispite any tears.
My brothers and sisters, are you discouraged? Continue to follow your Heavenly Father. Continue to sow Spiritual seeds through Prayer and reading the Word. Your tears are watering the Harvest. You will not be disappointed with your efforts. One day you'll return from the field with sheaves.
Jesus is worthy of your blood, He is worthy of your sweat, and He is worthy of your tears. He is the only One who is worthy. You are in the field for Him, wherever your field is. You sow for Him, and there will be a harvest too.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5
Please don’t be discouraged. Please don’t lose heart! Don’t grow weary while doing good.... perservere!
Pray for all of us here at Calvary Chapel Kings Lynn. Pray that we wouldn’t grow weary while sowing in the field of Kings Lynn. Pray for us because being on the mission field is hard, but worth every sacrifice.
Jesus is worth every tear that I have shed in the past three years of waiting. He is worth leaving my friends and family. He was worth leaving a church that was my home. He is worth every illness, every hurt, every trial... The Lamb is Worthy of the Sacrifice, Amen!
God Bless You always, all my love, Madi
For my 20th birthday, my family took me to the Stained Glass Museum in Ely. Out of all the stained glass, one panel caught my eye. It was very plain and simple. It was the parable of The Prodigal Son. He was asking for his inheritance, wasting it, living with pigs, returning home to his Father,... then his brother, who wasn't very happy and finally the fatted calf... who wasn't very happy either! Even in a stained glass window, Gods word does not return void.
The parable of the Prodigal Son, can be found in Luke 15:11-32. It's a parable of Gods love for us. When the Prodigal son asked for his inheritance, he was saying to His Father, "You are dead to me." How heartbreaking is that? The truth is, before we are saved, we live a life that says to God "You are dead to me" whether we know it, or not. I looked up the Greek for "Prodigal," and was surprised to find that it means indifferent to moral restraints or given to immoral or improper conduct. Prodigal living isn't just back sliding, it's walking in the flesh.
The money ran out, severe famine was in the land and the prodigal son began to want. He had a need.
We can all relate in one form or another. We've all experienced that want or need deep in our soul. So hungry and thirsty for the truth. Anything other than God, will leave us wanting. "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.' John 6:35.
In verse 20, the Father sees his son coming from a far distance, and runs to met him. Our Heavenly Father is always watching out for us and will always run out to meet us. That's fervent, unconditional, immeasureable love. Not only does God forgive us, He will throw us a Holy "welcome home" party!
God proclaims, "For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." John 15:24
Who are you? The one saying to God "You are dead to me" or the son who asked for forgiveness? You are one or the other. There's no gray area. Jesus said... "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6
The only way "Home" to the Father is through Jesus, His Son. We can't get to heaven through good works. We have to come to Him and seek forgiveness, just like the prodigal son. And I promise, your Father is waiting for your safe return "Home." So I encourage you to run to Him!
With stained glass, the artist selects each piece of broken glass for a reason. It's color, or texture, it's vibrance or dullness. The artist takes into account the design, nature and structure available for his own specific piece of work. The Master artist selects us for the same reasons. He takes the stained, broken, shards of our lives and turns them into a panel for His Glory. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.
Please pray for the prodigal Sons and daughters in Kings Lynn, and in England as a whole.
Pray for their safe return "Home." Thank you for reading and God Bless You. ~Madi
